First Defense Legal Aid

First Defense Legal Aid set up a hotline for anyone detained or arrested by Chicago Police. There is an attorney on call 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to provide free representation at the police station. This service was created by the FDLA and adopted in March 2019 by the Cook County Public Defender. It will continue to provide and universalize access to a fundamental civil and human right. FDLA is still striving for justice despite the success of its 24/7 on-call Police Station Representation Unit. FDLA offers many community, legal, and educational resources for Chicago and Illinois residents. The original Hotline is now called “Help Not Jail,” a program that brings callers to resources and enables them to minimize their need for arrest or police encounters. Other services include Know Your Rights peer training, educational resources, and an in-house Civil Rights Legal Aid Program. We also work to protect civil and human rights for those detained by police.